A Blind Hope is Still Hope
by Tuesday Falls Apart
Summary: A fragile peace has been won and now threatens to be destroyed. Naruto must find his past in order to protect his futur and the future of the people he loves.
1. prologue

It was twenty more steps up and three paces to the right. She pressed a hand against the cool plaster of the wall, took a shaky breath and counted again, making sure she did not miss a step. She faltered on the last step, braced herself against the nearest wall and drew another shaky breath only to gag at the stench of blood. Something was not right and she could not place her finger on it but it would not be wise to linger. Instead she pushed on, past three paces, ten then twenty. Racing down a hall with her hand grazing the side of a wall, praying she did not falter now when someone needed her most.

Umazaki Naruto braced himself as Neji charged him, a grin plastered on the brunette's face, his hand meeting the orange surface of his jacket only to have it snatched by the fox boys hand. He found himself flung from the bridge they had been training on and into the water.

" Come on Neji, stop going easy on me."

Neji surfaced, shaking the water from his hair, " Naruto you know you should not be training at all, let alone on top of that poor excuse for a bridge."

" It teaches balance and if you were going to go easy on me you should not have accepted the offer to spar."

"Perhaps you have just gotten faster" teased the young boy as he lifted himself back onto the log. He paused, glanced into the sky, a frown appearing on his face, "This peace, it frightens me…"

Naruto nodded, his head buried into the nook of his arms as they rested on his knees, " I wonder to myself when it will end, tomorrow, next week…today."

Neji nodded in agreement, flinching at the thought. They could not afford to have this peace end when for so long they had fought for it.

" Temporary peace is sometimes the most valuable, unstable as it is."

The two boys found themselves staring at the copy ninja, his hand crossed across his chest in habit, a small smile visible from behind the navy mask.

" I would think you would still be in bed Naruto."

" With what might happen at any time I don't have the time to lay around and wait for them to find me."

" You sound more and more like an adult each time I see you."

"Everyone has to grow up sometime…"

Naruto flinched as a hand fell gently onto his head, " You should not be so worried about something like that…I would never let something happen to you."

Blood, the smell of it, the feel of it, it seeped into her pores and she held back the urge to lose her lunch. It was still warm, which meant whoever had died had died recently and whoever had killed them was still there. She shook the wave of nausea from her head and braced herself, her ears pricking at the sound of shallow breathing that was not her own.

" An old lady and a blind girl, what a pity there was not enough fun in this."

"Who are you and what have you done to her?"

Her voice was shaky and she could no longer find the courage to face him, not now that her grandmother, her eyes, had been killed.

"Do you really care to know the answer to that?" A blade tip touched her neck, the cool metal sending shivers down her spine, " do you really want to know what that wench was up to? Her scheming, her planning, thinking that we would not find out? She wanted to betray her own country, and you; a little blind girl was her key. Pity she did not a more worthy child to do her evil bidding. It would have been more fun to rid our country of someone worth the fight."

If she could have seen him, she would have seen what he had done, something that seemed like butterflies massacred by a cruel child. But she could not, all she could do was smell and hear him and for the first time in a long time she found doubt in herself again. A doubt she had buried long ago with her training, with her smile and her love…but what could love do? It would not bring back her grandmother and yet this man had the right to accuse her of betraying a country she loved…

" You are wrong…she would never betray her country…She loved her country, she fought for it and this is her reward? Murdered by a man who had the nerve to kill an old woman and wants now to kill a blind girl?"

That had been what she had wanted to say and yet the words had not come from her mouth, instead they had come from behind her, their owner walking past her, pushing her to the side as to protect her.

"A Konoha dog come to interfere in affairs not of her business. Shame on you Tsunade, did you not bring your little friend?"

" I don't need her to beat your head in for what you have done."

"No.…" The two paused, surprised by the soft voice of the young girl, "It was my grandmother he killed…it is my fight."

"Don't be a fool girl, Keno is an S class criminal…. let me handle it for now."

"Please…please don't underestimate me…"

Tsunade froze, and then she smirked, the face had been familiar, the comment was all too real and reminded her so much of a certain blonde that she could not help herself, she took a step back, " Then he is yours."

" You come to rescue the girl and now you let her fight, are you planning to kill me by using her as bait."

"I won't need to kill you, she will do just fine."

Tsunade would never sleep again, not after that sight. Not but two minutes after she had allowed the young blind girl to fight her grandmother's killer was it over. She had dismantled the killer with her bare hands; she had to pry her from his lifeless body and shout at her before she had broken into tears. Begging her to let her finish let her revenge her grandmother. Only when she had been able to whisper that she had did she stop, her arms going limp as she slunk to the ground.

" We should not stay…it would not be safe for you to remain here. There will be more."

She gained a firm nod and that had been enough for her to whisk the girl away, they would not stop until they had crossed the border. It had been risky for the fifth to take this mission personally but then again the request had come from a personal friend. A friend who could not be refused…

She laughed bitterly to herself, she had failed once again to save someone…she would save the girl, at least that part of the promise she could keep.


	2. Chapter 1

He'd been at it all morning, she knew only because she had followed him early that morning into the woods. She watched silently as he fought those invisible demons with a ferocity she had never seen before. It frightened her and touched her and she wanted to reach out and soothe him.

She lowered her head, nibbling on her lower lip in habit. What he had done she could never had gone through with. She thought of Shino, of Kiba and knew if she had faced the same decision as him…she would not have the courage to do it…

"Do you think I am a coward Hinata?"

His voice caught her off guard and she found herself staring into those blue eyes, "I... I don't understand…what do you mean?"

He shook his head firmly, turning fully to face her and she knew then that he had known she had been watching, "For what I did…some people have called me a coward…"

"That isn't true… It took great courage to do what you did… No one can ever understand what you went through…. Not even I could…" her voice lowered to a soft whisper, "Sasuke needed to be stopped… even if he was your friend you knew that…."

"I killed him Hinata… with my own hands I killed him… I must be a coward to kill my best friend because I could not bring him back…"

"No, Naruto-kun... He went freely into the darkness, you did all you could and nothing more… it does not make you a coward to do the right thing… it does not."

"It's…not true is it?"

She wiped the blood from her pale face, frowned and shook her head, "No…your grandmother was loyal. What Keno did was not right…it is my fault that she is dead. I should have come sooner."

"Not that…" She lowered her head, her eyes trying to make out something… anything, "When I hit him…I saw something…I am not suppose to see anything but I could see his fear, bright as day… Like my grandmother used to say…I do not know what it is…only that it is not this eternal night I am used to… Could he be right? Am I just a weapon?"

"What is your name child?"

"Yumi…"

"No, no, your surname, the name your father gave you."

"Tanaka…."

"Tanaka…. I bet you did not know that every son born of the Tanaka clan is blind. It is that fault that allows them their limit…But that when a daughter is born… well, that is a far more special thing. What you did to that young man. I had always heard rumors but to see it first hand…you could be a true demon with those abilities… I have seen those with your powers who have abused it… But you are good Yumi and you always have a choice…you need never to doubt that."

Tears sprung to her eyes and stung the cuts on her face but she could not understand who this woman was, could not understand and yet…she was comforted by her words.

"Who…are you?"

"I am Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha…and I have come to take you home."

"Hinata you don't have to be so gentle with it." Hinata found herself blushing profusely as Naruto grazed the surface of her hand, "You should bind it tighter, it won't hurt me anymore then it already does."

She nodded firmly, managing a soft yes before pulling a bit tighter on the bandage, "You keep getting hurt…I worry…"

"It happens when you train as hard as I do."

"But…but you don't need to train anymore…. There's peace now…"

A grim look appeared on his face and she stared in awe at him as he shook his head firmly, removing his hand from her hold, "This peace is so fragile… It may end at any point. If we let ourselves become weak…then nothing will come of it… When this peace ends, someone must fight for it. I want to be able to fight still…" He smiled softly at her, "And I am lucky to have you help me."

He had rarely smiled since he had gotten back from whatever mission he had been on… She knew little of it, only that they had failed and that they had come back wounded and desperate… It had changed so many of them; their moods had been darkened, like a light dimmed from too much use. And they had tried in many ways to cover it up; to hide the fact that whatever had happened to each of them had destroyed their spirit…

But you could see it. You could see it in the way they acted, their words chosen too carefully, their steps elongating, their voices caught somewhere between the past and the present.

"You fight so hard for peace… I wish someone would fight for you instead…"

Her words caught him off guard and he found the courage to smile again, reaching over to touch her cheek, "I am not the only one fighting for it…. everyone in Konoha is trying...only I fear everyone is losing the strength to continue…"

"A Tanaka…. I thought they had all but become extinct."

"So had I…and not only did we find a breed able female but she is a blind female…"

"A blind Tanaka female… I thought that only males were born blind in the Tanaka Family."

"Indeed," The Fifth Hokage had been discussing their newest member with Shizune, they sat in the quiet solitude of her office, blinds closed, the hokage bent over paperwork.

"The Tanaka Family has always been silent, their bloodline hidden. Their daughters are born with sight and their sons without. It is for that reason that the family have their limit. But when a daughter is born blind her power is doubled. It's based strictly on the release of chakra. Take a Hyuuga for example; they are born with the ability to see chakra in the enemy. A Tanaka though, can see only that and even then they can not see the person. They release an immense amount of chakra, like a bat does with sonic waves, these wash over the enemy and interprets his next move through the reading of his chakra. It is a scary technique… to be able to predict the moves of your enemies."

"But if she is exuding such an immense amount of chakra, does it not drain her all that more quickly?"

"That is what I am trying to figure out…I'll need Hyuuga Neji for that."

"What will he do?"

"He'll fight her…. He and Naruto. They'll show us why she does not run out of chakra…"

Yumi sat silently in the shadow of a large tree, listening to the world around her. The sun was out, it warmed the tips of her toes and saddened her, and she was unused to the warmth of the sun. It had brought nothing but danger to her and her grandmother. To be seen had meant certain death for them…

"Hello there."

The voice startled her and she turned towards the voice, not seeing the tall shinobi who stood in beside her but she felt his aura, brighter then the sunshine against her eyes.

"So you are Yumi."

She liked the sound of his voice, it was deep and caring, something sad in the undertones, like he was hiding something and at the same time not.

"Yes, may I ask who you are?"

She heard him sit next to her, his back also against the tree, "Hatake, Kakashi. I am to watch over you."

"I did not realize the Hokage was so concerned over the well being of a blind girl."

"You are no girl, almost a woman of eighteen if I guess right…. And you must be important if I am to watch over you. Konoha has peace now, after so long… we will not hesitate to eliminate potential threats to that peace."

"I am not your enemy…"

She felt him turn to face her, his eyes looking her over, then softly, less the watchdogs of A.N.B.U were listening, "You never know who your enemies are until they have a kunai to your throat."

She thought on this, and then turned to face him, her voice soft as well, "You have a sad bitterness to your voice Kakashi. Let whoever broke your heart know they have placed a weakness in you, people who do those things are truly the enemy you should fear…."


	3. Chapter 2

I think on it again, death doesn't frighten me. But what truly frightens me is the fact that I may never be able to touch you again. That truly scares me…

Sasuke glanced at his arm, watching the fingers twitch as they healed over again, leaving no scar behind. He should not have doubted the ability of the blonde ninja. This brought his attention to the young woman asleep beside him, she had come to him voluntarily and this time he did not turn away. But she had betrayed Naruto to be sleeping beside him. Something had happened to them all and he could barely remember when they had all been friends. Now it was a relationship of necessity. He needed her… she wanted him.

"What are you thinking of?" Her voice had changed much since he had last truly seen her. It had matured, aged and saddened.

"Of you…"

Sakura sat up slowly, wrapping her arms around his waist, her head pressed against his back, "I'm here…I'll be here forever."

"I know… I know."

"_Why won't you come back with us!" Naruto was screaming at him, hysterical, his hands clenched tightly, "Stop being an idiot Sasuke and come home."_

_Sasuke chuckled, threw his head back and laughed at him, "You can't be serious, you did not come all this way to find me just to say those petty words again. It's been what… three years Naruto? I thought perhaps you had grown up and lost all that silly hoping of yours." He turned his attention to the young woman beside him, "Sakura… it's nice to see you too."_

_Sakura flinched, but her heart soared at the same time, he had not forgotten her… _

"_Would you still be with me if I asked you Sakura?"_

"_Sasuke…." _

"_Don't listen to him Sakura, he's still got a few nuts lose in his head. I'm going to beat some sense into him then we can take him back." _

_They had spent the last three years tracking Sasuke down, only to have found that he had personally taken care of Orochimaru, attained immense power and faced them now, no remorse in his eyes._

"_I told my brother once you know…. That I would attain power without murdering my best friend… I murdered my brother instead; it left room for no compassion and even more room for power." _

"_If you've become so much more powerful…then why won't you just come home, didn't you accomplish what you wanted to? Didn't you defeat Itachi, isn't' that enough for you?" _

"_Still you talk Naruto, it isn't about that anymore… It's about becoming more powerful... the most powerful shinobi alive… and that means I have to defeat all others…including you." _

Naruto awoke in a cold sweat. Sakura had betrayed him at that point. She had turned on him and chosen Sasuke… It had never been about her choosing him over Sasuke…. It had been about their friendship and she had thrown that away. He shook his head, glanced down at the scar on his arm; she had given him that…he had been forced to kill both of them…

"Naruto." He didn't turn to face Kakashi. Knowing he had been in the room all along.

"I think about it Kakashi… I think about what I could have said differently, what I could have done differently to change his mind… but I can't think of anything… I can't see it any other way…"

"The people you love can be your greatest strength or your greatest weakness… it is up to you to make that decision…"

Naruto grinned wryly, his eyes closing in thought, "Why are you here Kakashi-sensei… it can't possibly be to comfort me."

The copy ninja shrugged, walked over and held out a scroll, "It's a mission…You and Neji are to meet at the stadium, your mission will be there… Don't hesitate to kill, but be sure to observe first."

"Tell me what you see."

The com system clicked on in her ear and Yumi turned to where she knew the Hokage was sitting.

"I can see where you are sitting… Not exactly where you are sitting but I can see you, chakra against a black background."

"What color is fear to you?"

"I don't know how to say it…it's not so much seeing it as feeling it. It bursts in front of me… and tells me what it is going to do and what I can do to stop it." She stopped, turned back to face the large doors, "Who is coming and why am I here?"

"I have to know how you do what you do…it will be a test of your abilities. Do not hold back. These two can handle themselves. They will be out to kill you. I want you to treat it the same way as you did with Keno."

"A Chakra of control and strength, a Chakra of resilience and one of anger… if there are two people why are there three chakras?"

"You will see."

She nodded simply, braced herself as the doors opened.

"She's blind."

"What?" Naruto turned to face the other boy, "She's blind?"

"That's what I said Naruto…she's blind as a bat…"

"Then it will be too easy…"

"I would not underestimate her though."

"Neji." The Hokage clicked on in their ear, her voice scratchy, "I want you to watch her carefully… Naruto, I want you to fight her."

"You want me to fight a blind girl?"

"Do as I say."

Naruto shrugged, removed his ear piece and tossed it aside, "I won't fight her."

"Don't be an idiot Naruto, it's an order, you're suppose to follow orders."

Naruto did not hear him, he was running toward the girl, his arms waving in the air, "Hey, I'm not going to fight you."

But as he reached her he felt the contact of a fist, it pushed him back several feet and he found she had hit him squarely in the chest. She changed stances again, charged him and he barely dodged as her foot grazed the surface of his nose. Such speed that he could barely catch her leg as it came back for a second hit.

For a second he hesitated again and this time her foot met his leg and flipped him over. She was serious and intended on hurting him. Neji had been incorrect, she could see, how else was she doing what she did.

Yumi flinched as she flipped him over; it was one person, two chakras. One was angry and red and swelled inside the other. She did not know which one to believe, one wanted to befriend her, the other wanted to rip her throat out. It was too complicated an emotion and she only knew she could not let him too close. That other chakra could kill her, she could sense its power, and it overwhelmed her and frightened her. She tightened her fist as he got to his feet. Heard him charge her.

Neji had seen it first. The wave of chakra she released every time she charged. As though she followed its lead. What was more frightening though was that every time she struck Naruto she absorbed his energy, sucked it right up. Perhaps not in so large an amount that Naruto would miss it but enough that she could recharge, so that she could release that wave. And every time that wave hit Naruto it seemed to calculate his movement, she seemed to always know what to do. That was of course until Naruto used Kage No Bunshin. She could pick out the real one but could not sense the others until they were close enough for her to hear.

"I found her weakness Hokage." Neji turned toward the Hokage, "her Chakra wave locates Naruto but his clones can reach her, she can't see them right until they reach her, that's when she can hear them, her timing reaction is fast enough to stop a few but if Naruto keeps it up, he'll beat her easily."

Something was not right. She could feel it, he was no where near her and yet it seemed there were a thousand phantoms attacking her. She could not sense them until they were upon her. This boy was different…He could beat her if she was not careful…he could kill her if she did not learn to read him.


End file.
